House passes immigration bill

House members passed a bill by a 69-43 vote that gives South Carolina law enforcement officers another tool to help fight illegal immigration in the state. House Speaker Bobby Harrell says it’s now up to the state to deal with immigration issues.

It has become abundantly clear that if we want something done about illegal immigration, we’re going to have to do it ourselves. If the federal government refuses to enforce these laws, the South Carolina General Assembly will support state laws that do – and over the past several years, that is exactly what your state lawmakers have done.

The bill has a focus on detained illegal immigrants in South Carolina. Law enforcement officers would be allowed to follow a certain procedure to verify a person’s legal citizenship in the U.S. after that person is stopped, detained or arrested. The bill heads back to the Senate.